Everything about Georg Von Frundsberg totally explained
Georg von Frundsberg (
September 24,
1473 –
August 20 1528) was a
South German knight and
Landsknecht leader in the service of the
Imperial Habsburg dynasty of
Austria.
Frundsberg was born to Ulrich von Frundsberg and his wife Barbara von Rechberg at
Mindelheim, into an old line of
southern Tyrolean knights who settled in
Upper Swabia.
He fought for the
Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I against the Swiss in the
Swabian War of
1499, and in the same year was among the Imperial troops sent to assist
Ludovico Sforza,
Duke of Milan, against the French. Still serving Maximilian, he took part in
1504 in the war over the succession to the duchy of
Bavaria-Landshut, fighting against the Pfalz-Counts Philipp and Ruprecht. He distinguished himself during the Battle of
Regensburg. Maximilian I personally bestowed him with knighthood. Later, he also fought in the
Netherlands.
Convinced of the necessity of a native body of trained infantry, Frundsberg assisted Maximilian in the organization of the
Landsknechts. One year later, he became the commander of the Landsknechts in the lower countries. Thereafter, Frundsberg lived an uninterrupted life of war, campaigning for Empire and the
Habsburgs. In
1509, Frundsberg became the "Highest Field Captain" of the Landsknecht Regiment (occupation force) and participated in the war against
Venice, winning fame for himself and his men after defending the city of
Verona against numerous attacks.
After a short visit to Germany he returned to Italy, where between
1513 and
1514 he gained fresh laurels by his enterprises against the Venetians and the French. Peace being made, he returned to Germany, and at the head of the infantry of the
Swabian League assisted to drive
Ulrich, Duke of Württemberg, from his duchy in
1519.
At the
Diet of Worms in
1521 he spoke words of encouragement to
Martin Luther, and during the
Italian War of 1521-1526, Frundsberg helped lead the Imperial Army into
Picardy. When King
Francis I of France appeared on the battlefield with a force of approximately 40,000 men, the clever withdrawal of Emperor
Charles V's army saved its existence. Frundsberg considered the withdrawal on
Valenciennes as "the greatest luck and most appropriate measure during war."
After the French campaign in 1522 ended and Frundsberg resigned from the leadership of the Landesknechts, he returned to lead the march of 6,000 men on upper Italy. A difficult alpine crossing through deep snow led to the
Battle of Bicocca near
Milan in April. Swiss nationals on foot fought alongside Frundsberg, who led and fought from the front. The emperor's victory at Bicocca allowed for the return of the old Kingdom's Parliamentary Cabinet Lands of
Genoa and Milan and brought the greater part of
Lombardy under the influence of Charles V.
In 1525, after a brief stop in
Mindelheim as the "Highest Field Captain" of the entire German Nation (consisting of 12,000 men and twenty-nine flag bearers), Frundsberg moved again towards upper Italy to relieve Pavia and to save the empire's
Duchy of Milan. Despite an additional 6000 men, of which some were Spanish, in battle against an enemy that was twice as strong, Frundsberg won his most famous
victory at Pavia and crowned for the capture of the French king.
Only one year later, when the war in Italy was renewed in 1526, Frundsberg received a call for help from the emperor's Army in Lombardy, to help decide the war. Albeit an insufficient amount, he obtained 36,000 German
Thaler to organize the new army. During his occupation of Mindelheim, Frundsberg borrowed money and sold-off his silver table-settings and his wife's jewelry, in order to acquire the remaining funds to raise the Army. In less than three weeks, Frundsberg organized over 12,000 men and crossed the Alps during the middle of November. He joined the
Constable de Bourbon near
Piacenza and marched towards
Rome. However, order and discipline broke near
Modena on
March 13 1527, when no decisive battle developed after months of campaigning in Italy. Payment for the mercenaries remained overdue and in the end, even Frundsberg was unable to rally the Landsknechts and restore order. The matter shook the old commander to such an extent that he suffered a stroke. Unable to regain his physical strength, Frundsberg was moved to Germany after a long struggle in Italian hospitals. Tormented by great anxiety over the situation with his mercenaries or “beloved sons”, the loss of his personal estate and death of one of his sons, Frundsberg died in his castle in Mindelheim. He was considered a capable and chivalrous soldier, and a devoted servant of the Habsburgs.
His son Caspar (
1500–
1536) and his grandson Georg (died
1586) were both soldiers of some distinction. With the latter's death, the family became extinct.
During
World War II, the
Waffen-SS's
10th Panzer Division was given the honorific title
Frundsberg.
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